At The Stroke of Midnight
by Winnifred Daquer
Summary: Megatron wants a mate, Orion Pax suggests a ball to find one. Perceptor wants one happy memory. Will Megatron and Perceptor get what they want? Or will all end in pain?


Okay, this is going to be bizarre, so don't flame me for it. Pre-Earth. Universe unknown, I'm just describing the characters as the muse prompts me.

Time measurement (just so that I remember it if not anyone else):

Klik: 3 seconds

Breem: 1 hour

Orn: 1 day

Joor: A week

Cycle: 1 month

Stellar cycle: 1 year

Decacycle: 1 decade

Vorn: 83 years

oOo

Once upon a time would be a very bad place to start. You see, the time isn't so important as the place. The time could be anytime, really, if you wanted and the place is Cybertron.

Though perhaps the time IS important… in a sense it is anyway. You see, this story takes place in a time when a certain silver mech was searching for a mate.

The most powerful mech on Cybertron stood in his quarters, gazing out to watch the glittering lights and buildings of Icaon from his balcony.

"Megatron?" The huge silver mech turned red eyes to his brother, Orion Pax, who was smiling gently. "A datachip for your thoughts?"

Megatron grunted and Orion sat down on the balcony rail, gazing at his brother expectantly.

"Do you ever wish for a mate, Orion?" The silver Lord Protector asked and the younger paused, thinking over the question. Orion knew that his older brother was a lonely, cold mech by nature and a little bit cruel when angered, but he deserved to be happy just like every other mech on Cybertron.

"Sometimes… When the nights are too cold and long." Megatron's fingers ghosted over his silver breastplate, violet optics still fixed on the horizon.

"Does your spark ever… cry… for another?"

"Brother?" Orion placed a hand on Megatron's shoulder and the larger mech stiffened. Megatron hated to be touched and Orion knew this, but he needed to know that his brother was saying what he thought he was saying.

"I want a mate, Orion, I want one so badly."

"Then why not find one? I know that Acree would be more than willing." Orion chuckled. "And Prowl has always been a silent, distant admirer." Megatron made a face at the mention of Orion's best friend. Prowl was too strict, too cold, too much like Megatron. No, Megatron wanted someone gentle, sweet and warm, someone who would balance himself.

"I do not want Acree or Prowl, both are not for me." Orion nodded, Megatron was right, but then how would they find a mate for Megatron? Orion suddenly lit up, grinning audial to audial.

"A ball!" Megatron looked at his younger brother and quirked an optic ridge. "Its almost the Festival of Stars and so we could hold a ball at the elite Towers." Orion grinned and Megatron seemed to be warming up to the idea as his brother continued. "Make sure that every eligible mech and femme is there. You're bound to find someone!"

Megatron paused before nodding and looking at his brother.

"How many orns until the festival?"

"Umm… One."

oOo

The entire Tower was buzzing with whispers and giggles from the unmated mechs and femmes. Two voices that were undoubtedly the loudest were those of Blurr and Thundercracker.

Wheeljack was gone for the joor and had left his three children in the care of his housekeeper: Blackarachnia.

Blackarachnia was a strict housekeeper, and undoubtedly attractive. The black and purple spiderbot favored Thundercracker because of his sleek seeker build and Blurr because of his elegance and natural beauty. Yet the third and youngest child, Perceptor, was not favored by the cruel housekeeper.

"Perceptor, put that datapad down and help your brothers! We need to get them polished for the ball!" Blackarachnia snarled and Perceptor looked up from his datapad and shook slightly as he asked in a small, shy voice:

"Can I go also?" Blackarachnia snorted and looked over the small microscope.

Perceptor was smaller than his brothers and colored quite differently. Where his brothers were both dominantly Blue with white and black accents, Perceptor was small and gray with red accents and a green face and fingers. He wore a pair of yellow glasses perched on his narrow nose, glinting slightly in the light around him. Wide blue optics looked up at Blackarachnia and the spiderbot sneered.

"Maybe." She turned to the two other bots, who were loudly arguing with each other, Thundercracker on the verge of striking his smaller brother and Blurr holding a can of fine polish. Thundercracker grabbed Blurr's shoulder and pulled back a fist to strike the younger bot. "Would you two stop it!" Blackarachnia shouted and the two looked at her.

"You know it takes me hours to get you two looking the way you do and now we just have to start the whole process all over again." Blackarachnia glared at Perceptor. "Get over here, Perceptor." The microscope scurried over and grabbed a waxing cloth, preparing to help his brothers.

Again.

oOo

Perceptor stared down at his hands, sniffling slightly as he toyed with his slim fingers. Blackarachnia had worked him like a slave drone all afternoon and he hadn't been able to get himself ready for the ball because he had helped his brothers the entire time. When he had asked for them to wait to go they had all laughed and sneered down at him before leaving, threatening that if he left the flat that he'd regret it.

So now he was alone, locked up in his family's flat.

"Perce? Perce, you in there?" A high pitched, screechy voice called and Perceptor opened the door, rubbing at his optics as lubricant began to build.

"Hello, Starscream…" The small mech looked up at his friend, who was frowning. Starscream looked positively radiant, maroon and gray armor gleaming from a very recent buff, wax and polish. Starscream frowned, looking down at his fellow student scientist.

"Aren't you going to the Ball?"

"I can't, the Spider-lady threatened to turn me into a toaster if I left the flat."

"What she doesn't know, wont hurt you." Starscream looked over Perceptor and sighed. "Not a buff, wax or anything, huh?"

"My brothers used up all the wax and polish… And I've been too busy helping them."

Starscream smirked.

"Well, it just so happens that I have some extra wax and polish." Starscream stepped into the flat and opened his subspace, pulling out two cans and a few soft shammys – much nicer than the ones Perceptor's brothers had used. "Come on, we're going to play dress up."

oOo

Megatron sighed as he was introduced to yet another unimpressive and mass-produced seeker – a big blue one by the designation of Thundercracker. He lounged on his seat of power, cheek resting on his fist as he nodded at the seeker who was grinning expectantly. Suddenly another mech was announced, this one a sleek, small blue one who babbled so fast that Megatron wondered if it was a glitch.

Wouldn't want to have to deal with that for the rest of his life…

Suddenly something caught his optics and he turned to look at it, immediately straightening and rebooting his optics.

A maroon seeker smirked and pointed to Megatron, his companion looking up and blushing brightly, turning his green face away to whisper with the seeker.

The tiny mech was… Frag, Megatron couldn't describe him. His frame was slim and his armor was thin, obviously not a fighter build like the seekers and most other mechs. His armor was gray and red and Megatron paid little attention to the minor dings and buffed over scratches in the armor. The small mech reached up to adjust his glasses – glasses! Megatron couldn't help but smile as he stood and approached the two mechs who were standing next to the high grade table. The small mech was adorable!

"May I have a dance?" Megatron asked, leaning down to whisper in the smaller mech's audials.

Perceptor jumped, nearly spilling his regular grade energon, turning to look at who had spoken. He recognized the Lord Protector and fairly shook as the larger mech smiled down at him, showing sharp fangs. Starscream smirked as he picked up a cube of high grade.

"Well, I'm obviously not needed here any longer." The seeker stated, looking around as he began to walk away.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" Starscream grinned over his shoulder and waved.

"Going to get wasted, find a hot, single mech and interface him so hard he won't know which way is up." Perceptor gaped at his friend. How had they become friends in the first place? Megatron chuckled and looked down at the small mech. Blue optics blinked and slowly looked up at the handsome face with ruby red optics gazing down at him.

"Well?"

"Hmm? What?" Perceptor asked, absently adjusting his glasses once more. Megatron chuckled and held out a hand, stepping towards the dance floor.

"Can I have a dance?" Perceptor blushed and shook his head, causing Megatron to frown and quirk an optic ridge. "Why not?"

"I… I can't dance…" Megatron smiled kindly, taking the smaller mech's hand and pulling him out of the ballroom and down a couple of halls. Finally they arrived at a huge balcony and Megatron gestured around the empty space, lit only by the lights of the city surrounding them.

"Then I will teach you." Megatron held out his clawed hand and Perceptor paused before reaching out and resting his dainty green and gray fingers in the huge palm, feeling the warm hand wrap around his, powerful and completely dominating. Megatron slowly pulled the small mech to his chest, wrapping an arm around the slim waist. Megatron was so tall that the gray and red mech could only place his hand on Megatron's chest, right over the spark chamber.

Both were quite aware of how intimate that contact was and the small mech attempted to pull away, but Megatron held him firmly in place.

"Don't worry about it… I don't mind…"

"But-but I… I-"

"Shh…" Megatron began to sway and quirked an optic ridge at the smaller mech. "What's your frequency?" Perceptor blushed but gave him the frequency. Almost instantly a sultry jazzy tune began to play over the comm. link and they danced, Perceptor blushing and apologizing whenever he accidentally stepped on Megatron's foot.

"Shh… Its alright…" To distract the smaller mech, Megatron began to ask questions.

"Might I have the pleasure of knowing who I am dancing with?" Perceptor blushed and shook his head. "No? Whyever not?"

"I don't want my brothers and my father's housekeeper to know that I'm here." The young mech whispered and Megatron grinned.

"If you wont tell me your name I'll have to make one up for you." The teased and Perceptor blushed even more so that the green of his cheeks was emerald. "Well? Your choice."

Perceptor shrugged. What could the mech come up with that would be so bad?

"Hmm…" Megatron suddenly dipped the smaller mech, his hand sliding down to grasp Perceptor's aft teasingly, squeezing firmly. "How about Cinderstack?" Perceptor blushed and looked away, obviously uncomfortable about the attentions. Straightening and returning to their soft rhythm of before, Megatron moved on to the next question on his mind. "How old are you?"

"About eighteen hundred stellar cycles." Perceptor whispered, his hand back on Megatron's chest and the larger mech quirked an optic ridge. Barely of legal age to be eligible…

"Well… What are your interests?" Perceptor's optics lit up and he looked up at Megatron.

"Knowledge, science especially."

"Really?" Megatron was slightly surprised, something so small would probably want something more of the arts, not so much of an out in the open occupation where explorations could be dangerous.

"Yes, I graduated from the Academy about three centuries ago, I was one of the few mechs who studied every science."

"What would you do with such a degree?" Megatron asked, continuing to slowly lead his small partner around the balcony.

"I was thinking of researching other species and planets, traveling."

"I hope not." Megatron whispered as they slowly began to stop, the large mech looking down at the small scientist. Perceptor looked up and was increasingly aware of their bodies pressed together, Megatron's powerful arms around his frail frame.

"Why?" The small microscope whispered his voice barely a breath on the air.

"Because then I'd never see you again." Megatron whispered, leaning down and pressing his mouth to the smaller mech's.

Perceptor's intakes hitched and in cooling systems roared to life as his hands moved to scrape delicate fingers over Megatron's strong face, tracing high, sharp cheeks and a strong jaw. Megatron slowly reached up to cup Perceptor's face, pulling away and staring down at the mech in his grasp.

Intelligent, beautiful, sweet and young. Just what he was looking for.

"Wait…" Perceptor pulled away, gasping slightly as he shuddered in Megatron's arms. "What time is it?" Megatron paused, rebooting his optics.

"An hour until midnight." He replied, leaning forward.

"I have to go." Perceptor turned slightly, trying to pull away.

"Why?" Megatron asked and the small mech looked up at him.

"I have to be in my quarters by midnight."

"You have an hour."

"But what if my family-" Megatron touched Perceptor's lips with a gentle claw.

"Give me one breem…" Megatron whispered, stroking his claw over Perceptor's lower lip. "One breem… I'm sure your armor will not vanish at the stroke of midnight." Megatron gave a lewd grin. "Though I might strip it off before then…"

Perceptor stared at the larger mech, feeling the insistent press of the claw on the part of his lips.

Slowly he parted his lips, optics offlining as he let his glossa flick out and press against the pad of the digit. Megatron paused before pressing his finger further into the small mech's mouth, feeling Perceptor suck on it slowly before he began to earnestly suckle on the claw like a sparkling did a bottle. Megatron thrust his finger in and out of the warm mouth, feeling the smaller mech moan and whimper against the digit.

"One breem." Perceptor whispered, felling Megatron lift him off the ground, hands pulling him up by his aft to let the smaller mech wrap thin legs around his waist.

oOo

Perceptor gasped and arched, feeling Megatron suck and nip on his neck.

"Primus…" Megatron whispered as he felt his cable press against his codpiece. They were in Megatron's private quarters, the larger mech pressing Perceptor against a wall. The small mech was barely coherent as he grasped at Megatron's shoulders, feeling as if he was slowly being melted down for scrap. The heat of Megatron's own body was not helping the younger mech.

"M-mega… Ooh…" Perceptor threw his head back and moaned as Megatron's mouth found a sensitive wire on his collar strut.

"Open up…" Megatron whispered, pressing their codpieces together. Perceptor whimpered and opened up to the powerful mech, feeling his spark wailing at him that this was wrong. He would go back to his miserable life as the youngest of an uncaring family and Megatron would forget him completely.

But still, didn't he deserve to have a moment to be happy? Didn't he deserve to have one happy memory to look back on and cherish?

Suddenly there was a large finger in his port and Perceptor arched, letting out a scream of pleasure, clinging to Megatron like a lifeline to sanity.

Megatron purred softly, burying his face in Perceptor's neck while his finger continued to thrust in and out of Perceptor's valve. Lubricant began to trail down his hand and wrist, dripping onto the floor and smearing over Perceptor's thighs. Megatron punched the code into his bedroom door and it slid open, closing behind them as Megatron fairly threw the smaller mech onto his berth. Megatron stared down at Perceptor, the smaller mech laid bare and trying to intake more air to cool his systems. Blue lubricant coated slender thighs and Megatron leaned down to worshipfully trail his tongue over the smaller mech's inner thigh, tasting sweet lubricant.

"What's your name?" Megatron growled so softly that he couldn't tell if Perceptor heard. But apparently he had and was shaking his head "no".

"I-I can't… Oooh please! Megatron!... Please… don't talk… I… I… Iwant…" Perceptor moaned, unable to speak as Megatron moved, releasing his hard cable and grasping Perceptor's hips. Kissing the smaller mech's mouth firmly, Megatron thrust into the small body beneath him.

Perceptor moaned and arched, clawing at Megatron's shoulders so harshly that he peeled some paint off of his fingers and Megatron's shoulders.

"Ooh… Gentle…" Megatron chuckled and Perceptor whined as the larger mech thrust against him, making the connection. Overload was soon to follow the connection and all Perceptor could think of was "I have an amazing, wonderful moment to remember". Megatron groaned as he overloaded, collapsing next to Perceptor so as not to crush his small lover. Perceptor hummed in content, offlining his optics sleepily.

Suddenly he heard a heavy, booming tone from somewhere and sat bolt upright, Megatron groaning and looking at him.

"I have to go." Perceptor whispered, getting out of the berth and adjusting his armor until he was decent again.

"No, don't go…" Megatron whispered, capturing Perceptor's hand in his.

"I have to, please, let me go." Perceptor pulled away, racing out of the room and down the hall, Megatorn hot on his heels.

"No, please, tell me your name at least." Megatron grabbed Perceptor's waist, pulling him back.

"I can't, I'm so sorry." Perceptor ducked out of the grip and ran, disappearing down a hall. Megatron followed, but the small, strange mech was gone.

"Wait!" Megatron called, following a shadow.

"Megatron?" The silver mech turned to see Orion Pax staring at him. "Who are you looking for?"

"I don't know!" Megatron sighed, slamming his fist against the wall hard enough to dent it. "He wouldn't tell me his name!"

"No name? What the frag did you call him?" Megatron blushed as he mumbled something and Orion gave him a look that one would give a young sparkling that was lying to you. "Well?"

"I called him Cinderstack, like the story our creators would tell us when we were sparklings." Orion laughed and Megatron gave him an annoyed glare.

"Well, did you get anything else out of him? Maybe if we use some info we could find him."

"Well, he majored in the sciences in the Academy."

"That's good!" Orion grinned, dragging Megatron down the hall to one of the huge computer terminals. "What else?"

"I got a frequency." Megatron watched as Orion sat down in a chair, typing in his access name and passcode. "But its blocked right now."

"Well, we're just going to have to find him by using this."

Orion pulled up several files and transferred them to a datapad, grabbing the pad.

"Come on, lets get going on this list."

"How many mechs did you find?"

"About thirty."

"This would be so much easier if we just had a servo cover like in the story." Megatron mumbled and Orion chuckled.

"Well, deal with it, all we have is a little bit of information about his school life and a frequency that is blocked."

oOo

The next day…

They had looked through every file and had only found three mechs that even came close to the description. The files weren't equipped with pictures so they only had a few addresses to go by.

"Well, lets get started." Megatron sighed, picking up the first file and looking at it. "Starscream: majored in all of the major sciences and a few minor ones, is research partner with Skyfire and graduated a few vorns ago from the Academy. His teachers called him a genius."

"Sound familiar?" Orion asked, standing up and stretching stiff joints and Megatron followed him, the two brothers getting ready to go "head-hunting".

"I guess, but he didn't mention a partner."

"Eh, we'll check to make sure."

The two brothers wandered through the city before they found a seedy, rundown apartment complex, looking at the address.

"It's the right place, I guess…" Orion knocked on the door and there was a shout and the intercom beeped.

"Yeah?" A cranky, high pitched voice screeched over the static laced intercom and Megatron spoke.

"This is Megatron and Orion Pax, we'd like to speak with Starscream." The com was silent before there was a shuffling on the other side of the door and it finally opened, revealing an attractive maroon and red seeker. The seeker was built and incredibly beautiful and Orion blinked, looking at Megatron then the seeker.

"Yeah?" The seeker rubbed his neck, trying to soften the indentations of a love bite on the derma metal there.

"I… I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else."

"Well maybe I can help." Starscream straightened, looking between the two mechs. "Who were you looking for?"

"Another scientist, he's small, red and gray with a green face and fingers." Starscream paused before grinning at Megatron.

"Ooohh… That sly little minx… Hold on a klik." The seeker walked into the apartment. "Come in, I'm sorry that its not all that clean, but my research partner is such a slob… So he didn't give you a name? And he probably blocked his frequency, didn't he."

"What are you talking about?" Megatron growled suspiciously and Starscream turned, walking over with a hologram picture.

"Perceptor of course." Megatron looked at Starscream and took the picture, looking down at it.

And there was the mysterious little mech, smiling shyly with Starscream's arm wrapped around his shoulder and chest, a small hand clinging to the seeker's wrist as the two grinned, Starscream confident and laughing while Perceptor looked shy, his glasses skewed and one hand trying to adjust them.

"Perceptor…" Megatron whispered, staring down at the picture.

"I'm surprised that he let you dance with him. He's always been terrified of other mechs, even his own brothers."

"What do you mean?" Orion asked and Starscream sighed, sitting down and gesturing for the other two mechs to sit also.

"Its hard to explain… Thundercracker and Blurr – his older brothers – aren't the brightest mechs in the towers, but they are a couple of the most attractive. Perce was a black sheep of sorts… They didn't hesitate to tease and abuse him… They aren't even like his brothers at all." Starscream sighed, but smiled at Megatron and Orion. "But you're looking for him, that's good. It means that someone besides me cares about him."

"Oh? And why aren't you enough?" Orion asked and Starscream looked at him challengingly.

"As much as I love Perceptor, we both decided long ago that we were not meant to be together as mates."

"So where does this Perceptor live?" Megatron asked, standing up.

"I can take you to him, but don't expect it to be easy once we get there."

oOo

Perceptor sighed as he stared down at his datapad, listlessly skimming over words that he had memorized by now. He missed Megatron. Missed the older mech's conversation, his touch, his willingness to just listen and BE with him… Mechs like that came around once in a lifetime.

Well, I guess this was his once.

A sudden knock at the door and his brothers shouting that they would get it, arguing the entire way. Perceptor went over to the area above the small staircase of their loft, listening and watching as he brothers fought at the door. Finally Blackarachnia shoved them away and opened the door herself, gasping and stepping back, folding into a "curtsey" in her techno-organic form.

"Megatron, Orion Pax… Welcome to our humble home…" Perceptor felt his spark seize. In horror or joy he wasn't sure. Please, don't come in. He thought, he couldn't move away from his spot, couldn't tear his eyes from what he was sure would become a trainwreck situation.

"We're looking for Perceptor… Is he in?" Orion Pax asked as Megatron looked past Blackarachnia, past Perceptor's siblings, scanning the room.

"I'm afraid that he's…" The housekeeper didn't get to finish as Megatron spotted Perceptor, standing on the balcony-like area above them. "My lord?" Blackarachnia was shoved out of the way, Megatron making his way towards Perceptor.

The younger mech's feet suddenly began to move again and he fled down the hall, running towards the one part of his world that he thought was safe: the roof.

"Perceptor!" Megatron followed and the Microscope felt a firm hand around his wrist.

"No! Let go of me!" Perceptor tried to pull away, but Megatron was relentless.

"Perceptor, please, don't run… Don't be scared…"

"I can't go with you, Megatron!" Perceptor shouted and his family watched in surprise as he tore his hand from Megatron's grasp, the shocked Lord Protector following him doggedly as the younger mech tried to avoid him. Perceptor scrambled up stairs and onto the roof, closing the door and barricading it with a bent and broken metal pole.

"Perceptor! Perceptor, let me in!" Megatron banged against the door and perceptor sobbed, shaking his head.

"I can't… I can't…" He whispered, collapsing against the door. "Please, just go."

"No! Perceptor, what is wrong? Why won't you come with me?"

"I just can't… I can't leave this home… They'd never forgive me…" Megatron sighed and rested his forehead against the door.

"Perceptor… Please… I need you… I need someone like you to keep me on my feet… To help me keep focus on what I want, what I'm working for…"

Perceptor shook his head, resting against the door.

"I'm sorry, Megatron… I can't."

Perceptor pulled away from the door and ran to the balcony, hailing Starscream. The flyer was almost instantly on the rooftop, reaching down to catch the smaller scientist.

"Perceptor?!" Megatron heard the jet's turbines start up and he immediately slammed his foot into the door, sending it toppling down. The Tetrajet screamed off into the sky and Megatron watched, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that Perceptor was inside that jet. "Perceptor…" He whispered, hanging his head and covering his eyes.

oOo

"Okay, Perce. You had better have a good reason for blowing your one chance at getting out of that hellhole you call a home." Starscream transformed as Perceptor bounced out of him, transforming also until they were both in bipedal mode.

"I couldn't mate with a mech that I had only truly known for one day… I couldn't mate with any mech."

"And why not?! Geeze Frag, Perce, he was practically fawning over you when he came to my home!"

"I know!" Perceptor covered his optics. "But I couldn't bring myself to do something like that… I'm not some easy lay." Starscream stared down at his friend before pulling him into a warm embrace, letting the microscope rest his helm on the jet's orange cockpit canopy. "I'm not a slut…" Starscream suddenly remembered that night and knew what Perceptor was talking about.

~+~ Flashback ~+~

"Dirty little slut!" Thundercracker snarled, slapping Perceptor's face and breaking his glasses. "You don't even deserve to be part of this family!"

"Nothing happened, Thundercracker, I swear!"

"Sunstorm is MINE!" Thundercracker shouted.

"Fine you can have him!" Perceptor defensively shot back. "Who wants a little shit-eating whore like him?"

He was instantly punched in the face, sent flying into a wall.

"You say that ever again and I will take your head off."

Perceptor sniffled and covered his face as Thundercracker sneered at him.

"Throwing yourself at my lover… Are you so desperate that you would throw yourself at the feet of the first mech to talk to you?"

Perceptor didn't dare say different. In truth, Sunstorm had made unwanted advances on him… But Thundercracker wouldn't listen to him…

~+~ End Flashback ~+~

"I'm not like that, Star." Perceptor whispered and Starscream nodded.

"Here, I'll fly you to the Academy… After that you're on your own." Starscream picked Perceptor up bridal style and launched himself into the air.

Perceptor knew, in that moment, that he could never return to his home… Could never return to Icaon or his family.

But the thought that scared him was the thought that he was glad of that.

oOo

A/N: I know, I butchered Cinderella and the characters are horribly OOC but I had fun wit it!


End file.
